Summary: Melkor’s viewpoint on the formation of Arda and his imprisonment in the Void until the Final Battle.

Author’s Notes: Disclaimer: Tolkien built the sand box; I only play with the bucket and shovel that he left for me. No money, profit or non, is made from the publication of this story.

Stealth

Stealth is difficult when all eyes watch. Here in Arda, when everything around you can communicate with your brothers and sisters, and when those siblings are joined together to counter your goals, stealth becomes almost impossible. But I am the first - the most powerful of all. I am Melkor. And I am neither conquered nor lessened despite their punishments.

This world should have been mine, not shared with the others. I am the strongest of us all and when Eru asked for volunteers to create and oversee Arda I was the first to say “Yea”. The others merely followed my example like sheep. They should have been subservient to me and rushed to fulfill my wishes.

Eru sent me and my siblings forth from the Timeless Halls to bring form to Arda. The world and what surrounded it used the stanzas and patterns of His Song and the harmonies of my brethren. But they were unable to avoid the sounds and lyrics of my own vocal dissonance and our Father allowed my melody of chaos to become a part of the Whole. The others have always refused to acknowledge the importance of my role.

All of us had a part in the making of this world – MY world. My siblings should have had more respect for me, but rather than falling to their knees at my feet and obeying my orders, they banded together, allied against me, and forced me to accept them as my ‘equals’. They were well aware that their strength was less than my own, yet they refused to bow down before my might, instead they initiated battle between us.

Our war raged over throughout this new world. When they built a mountain, I cast it down; conversely, when I caused the waters to overflow, they changed the river’s channel. Through our conflict the shape and substance of Arda was formed, altered and reformed again. This was not a world that was created from love. Instead it was formed through the acts of war; birthed through cries of pain and the pure joy of destruction.

I was chased away into the far north and then ignored while my siblings formed a large land in the center of waters - the island of Almaren. I stepped back and allowed them to create their island. I watched them populate it with varied plants and creatures. Finally, I watched with curiosity as Aulë made and then raised the great Lamps with the aid of all. The Light shone out over the land atop pillars that rose high into the sky. Beneath their beams Yavanna’s plants thrived and Oromë’s beasts cavorted. I saw the smiles of my siblings but I did not share their joy. The pure Light tore my heart asunder with its beauty and I coveted it for myself.

I set new goals. Rather than destroy Arda, I wanted to destroy the beacons and carry the shards of light into the darkest depths of my northern fortress of Utumno, where they would be reserved for my use alone. I developed plans in secret to pull down the Lamps and I courted several of our servants, the Maiar, winning them over as allies to my cause. Enjoying the irony, most of my new servants had previously been allied with Aulë; he who had made that which I would see destroyed. By working with great secrecy and stealth, my plans were finally realized and the Lamps crashed upon the Isle of Almaren, destroying it utterly. The shards of the great Lights were carried down into the depths of my chambers, hidden forever from all other eyes save my own.

My siblings began anew and created new lands for settlement in the western part of Arda. Meanwhile my servants and I continued delving Utumno ever deeper and also began building a fortress that would be known as Angband. I assigned my chief Lieutenant, Sauron to oversee its construction and inhabitants.

Again light came to Arda. My brethren, ever creative, made new lights in their western land of Valinor. This time two lighted Trees of exceptional beauty were grown by Yavanna and nurtured by the tears of Nienna. Once again my siblings attempted to organize the world to their liking, adhering to their own portions of Ilúvatar’s Song but ignoring my own descant. But my melody had equal importance and weight as theirs and so, again, I had to destroy what they created to allow my melody to soar in Arda. I began planning the destruction of the Trees.

Lights appeared in the skies above, stars scattered by Manwe's partner, Varda. The shimmering canvas now painted on the dark skies annoyed me, but I could easily ignore it while in my fortress. I then heard a new melody wend its way into my heart. It came from the east, from along the shoreline of a mighty lake. At first it was small and weak, but as time passed it developed strength and the number of voices increased.

I sent out scouts to investigate this new addition to the melody and they returned to me with great excitement. The Children of Ilúvatar had finally appeared on Arda and they were in my lands, not those of my brethren.

I gave orders for the capture of several of these new beings. I wanted to examine them closely hoping that they would be of use to me. Over time their stories included “The Hunter”, the one who kidnapped those lagging behind or running ahead of the group. My servants hunted them actively and their cries of fear and horror when brought before my dark presence pleased me. I bred some of my servants to them. Their progeny formed a new race that I enslaved to do my bidding. Later peoples named my children orcs.

They were dull but numerous, obedient and easy to waste in battle. A force of orcs could be ordered into any battle without second thoughts. I set up large breeding areas and training grounds in my southern lands and I began planning for war because I knew that once my siblings found the Children, they would want to protect them by closing Arda to me.

I still desired to capture the Light of the Trees. The thought of destroying them and having the only light in Arda shining from the dungeons of Utumno was a goal that I was unwilling to relinquish. But I had no way of obtaining the light from the Trees yet and Valinor was closed to me. Or was it?

My spies reported that Oromë found the Children and was enchanted by them. My time of unrivaled access to these new creatures grew short. I stepped up my efforts, kidnapping as many as I could and having them dragged, screaming and pleading for mercy, to be cast into my pits and dungeons. I confirmed that even the immortal can indeed die. Their blood ran across the stones of my floors.

Within a short time a barrier had been placed around the remaining Children to protect them and my siblings amassed themselves and their armies of Maiar outside my fortress gates. War had again been declared.

War between the Valar was never minor. By the time we ceased our aggression the mountains were flattened, the plains were raised and the oceans were deepened. Entire land masses were destroyed and new lands were pushed up from Ulmo’s depths.

I was captured and imprisoned. My loving siblings threw me into the deepest dungeon in my brother Námo’s realm, wound about tightly with Angainor, a chain of Aulë’s making. For three Ages of the world I languished in Námo’s prison in total darkness. Through this time I planned and plotted. I never forgot the Trees, and now that I was once again in Valinor, I was close to the Light once more. I sat and planned my words and plea for mercy. I knew I would be called to the Máhanaxar once more. If I phrased my words well and looked properly penitent, I would be released and my plot could move forward. I practiced my speech and features; I had to look cowed but not grovel and my words had to sound sincere, not empty. All had to be perfect so that I could obtain my freedom again.

Finally the day arrived and my pleas for mercy were heard. Many of my siblings were not swayed by me, but enough requested mercy that it was granted. Once again I was free. For many years I wandered the lands, speaking with and teaching the Quendi a variety of techniques of forging that I had mastered in the past. As I moved around I also began sowing small seeds of discontent. I wandered the land extensively and went into the darkness of the southern realms, discovering an unexpected and deadly ally.

I attacked the Trees, letting my new ally loose and allowing her to feed upon their life’s blood. I then went north to collect the last portions of their Light upon Arda – that which was captured in Fëanáro’s silmarils. With the stones in my hand I passed swiftly across the top of the world, returning to my dark fortress of Angband. Sauron had been faithful and had kept it in order for me through these long ages. There I forged my crown to hold the three silmarils set beneath iron peaks representing my fortress. I now had Light with me always as I walked the dark pathways of my kingdom.

I was followed across the deep sea by a group of mewling and weak Quendi who screamed that I must return the silmarils to them. They thought they could vanquish me. I laughed. The last time war had come to me it took all of the Valar and their Maiar servants to finally imprison me. I felt certain that I had nothing to fear from these inferior secondary beings.

With a desperate effort my brethren placed two bright lights into the skies above, providing soft white light or harsher golden light throughout Arda. At the time of the first light a large force of additional Quendi arrived having crossed over the far northern lands. Even though there are now more of the Children arrayed against my might, I still had no fear. They were like gnats against my might, annoying but ultimately ineffective.

I sent my forces against those of the Quendi. When I was not actively battling them I sent out scouts to discover where they live. Finding their hidden homes I destroyed them slaying all living within.

A second race appeared on Arda. These “men” were of a heavier build with a much shorter lifespan. I found that they were easy to influence and sent spies into their ranks to turn them to my cause.

Five times I marshaled my forces, ordering them to pour forth from my gates to destroy my enemies. The corpses littered the ground like stones in a streambed. Yet still they continued their attempts to retrieve the silmarils.

Eventually through the efforts of one who held the blood of many, my brethren were once again stirred into action. They gathered an army of Maiar and the Children and came upon me for one more war. Again mountains were leveled and rivers were blocked. The death toll was beyond counting. Finally I gathered my forces for a final thrust.

We were utterly defeated and Angband was razed to the ground. I was captured once more and brought back to judgment. My sentence was harsh. They cast me into the Void, there to await the ending of Arda and the Final Battle.

I feel that other fea have been sent here to wait through the long Ages of the world. With stealth I can perhaps win them to my view and once again I can possess the Light.

I love the music of Finlandia, the dark and menacing tones of the beginning and the rising chords in the middle sections. It is one of my favorites and Melkor demanded to tell his story to its melody. I'm so pleased that you liked my story (even though I found at least two more things I need to correct when reading it through again this morning - sigh).

Thank you so much. Sometimes I enjoy embracing the Dark side, and Melkor has been a favorite subject of mine for quite a while now. I'm delighted that you enjoyed seeing the creation of Arda and the various wars of the Valar from Melkor's POV.

Oh thank you. The music starts out so heavy and dark it just aches for a character from the darkness. Melkor jumped up and down and reminded me that I hadn't written about him for a while, so ... I couldn't resist touching hands again with one of the Valar that I really enjoy exploring in my writing.

Ah! Well, the actual prompt was "Use Sibelius' 'Finlandia' as your inspiration for your story" and gave a link to the music, so there was no chance of mix-up from my end. I never knew there was a Finlandia vodka, I'm a rum girl myself :-) I learned something new today :-)